


Home Alone

by FriendLey



Series: Forever [2]
Category: Madam Secretary
Genre: F/M, featuring Guitar Hero
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-10-12 02:41:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17459066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FriendLey/pseuds/FriendLey
Summary: Henry is bored and home alone.





	Home Alone

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Madam Secretary or any of its characters used in this story. What is written here is for entertainment purposes only. No infringement is intended and this story is not for profit.

"I changed my mind."

"About what?" asked Elizabeth, barely glancing in Henry's direction as she finished doing her make up.

"I don't want to be a couch potato anymore." Henry was lying on his stomach, his elbows propped up, and his chin on his hands as he watched his wife who was sitting across from her vanity.

Elizabeth turned to look at him, a small exasperated sigh escaping her. "Henry..."

"It's a Saturday," explained Henry, sitting up. "We're supposed to be spending the day together as a family. But the kids are going to watch a movie and you're going to work."

Elizabeth got up to join him on the bed. She rubbed his arm comfortingly. "I'll be quick, in and out. And then you and I can spend the rest of day together."

Henry's mouth curled at the thought. "Okay. If that's the case you better go now so you can make it back early."

Elizabeth agreed, giving him a kiss before getting to her feet again.

...

_"It's taking longer than expected. I'm so sorry! I'll make it up to you."_

Henry looked up from the text message he received from his wife. He tossed his phone to the couch and ran a hand over his face.

After living a life of excitement and thrill in Murphy's Station, he's more than happy to take a break, to sit back and relax. But not like this. Not alone.

Reading books, writing them, planning lectures, and grading papers can only sustain him for long but he still craved the company of his loved ones.

He turned on the TV and plopped on the couch. A Guitar Hero commercial was playing and it gave him an idea—a stupid one, really. But what was it that Henry Ford said? 'Idleness warps the mind.'

Grinning mischievously to himself, Henry went upstairs to his bedroom and changed his clothes. After discarding his sweats for a pair of whitewashed boxers, white polo shirt and socks, he padded back down to the TV Room.

He moved the sofa to the side, leaving an empty space where it stood. He unboxed the family's Guitar Hero set from the shelves and then connected his phone via bluetooth to the room's speakers. He scrolled through his playlist and when he found the song he wanted, chose it, set it down and picked up the toy electric guitar.

He ran to the kitchen and patiently waited for the song to play.

The familiar piano notes of Bob Seger's Old Time Rock and Roll blared from the speakers and reverberated around the walls.

Henry slid easily in the TV room, his socks making it effortless.

_Just take those old records off the shelf. I'll sit and listen to 'em by myself. Today's music ain't got the same soul. I like that old time rock 'n' roll."_

Without hesitating, he fake played the guitar, jutted his hips out, walked further in the room, and lip-synced to the song the same way Tom Cruise did in Risky Business.

 _Don't try to take me to a disco!_  He jumped onto the coffee table.  _You'll never even get me out on the floor._ _In ten minutes_ _I'll be late for the door._  Henry jumped off and landed down on his knees in front of the TV.  _I like that old time rock 'n' roll_

_Ooh_ _  
_

_..._

A car pulled up in the back driveway of the McCords' house and three teenagers got out, all of them engrossed in a conversation regarding the film they had just seen.

"It isn't like he wanted her to die—"

Jason scoffed as they approached the back door. "Please, he wanted her dead..."

Stevie took out her keys, letting the nerds hash it out, and unlocked the outside door that lead to the kitchen

_Still like that old time rock 'n' roll_

Upon hearing the music, the three of them exchanged looks with one another. Jason shrugged for all of them and strode in first.

 _That kind of music just soothes the soul. Ooh. I reminisce about the days of old._ __  
  
They dumped their bags on the kitchen table and walked towards the direction of the music. They didn't need to search too long for the source because their father just fell backwards on the sofa.

_With that old time rock 'n' roll._

Stevie's eyes widened when she saw legs and arms flailing and kicking in the air. Henry turned to lie on his stomach, legs still kicking.

Alison stifled a giggle and Jason was red in the face as he held his breath, trying not to laugh.

The middle child quickly took out her phone and proceeded to record a video.

As the song moved to go into the guitar solo, Henry jumped off, his back to the kids, and drew up the collar of his polo shirt. He grabbed the discarded guitar on the coffee table and began to play the instrument again.

He turned around and started, guitar dropping to his side.

Jason let a full-on laughter escape him and the girls clapped their hands.

"Nice moves, pop!" said Stevie while Alison rewatched the video.

"Channeling the Guitar Hero commercial, I see," added Alison. "This is so cute. I'm posting it on Instagram."

"Aw come on," protested Henry, "Don't post—"

"Done!"

Henry sighed. He looked at his children, all of them still laughing and smiling. Well, at least he managed to make their day.

...

That night, when everybody was finally gathered together and preparing dinner, Jason said, "Mom, guess what dad did today."

"What?" asked Elizabeth, genuinely curious seeing as she blew Henry off for another crisis.

"He did a Tom Cruise in Risky Business," said Stevie in a sing-song voice.

"With Guitar Hero," added Jason, exaggerated pride oozing from his voice.

"I have a video!"

Elizabeth's eyes darted from Stevie to Jason to Alison and then to her husband.

Henry shrugged good-naturedly, not shy anymore about what he did nor about the fact that he was seen doing it. He decided he was going to own that performance.

"Show me!"

Alison ran over and showed her mother the clip. Elizabeth's mouth dropped at it and Henry put an arm over her shoulder and kissed her, smothering the sounds she was making.

"For someone who didn't want to be a couch potato, you sure looked like you were enjoying yourself." Elizabeth mimicked playing the guitar. "No wonder you didn't reply to my texts!"

"That was temporary. I still missed you today."

Elizabeth smacked his butt playfully before softly murmuring, "Wanna give me an encore of that performance after dinner?"

"Just no videos and you've got yourself a deal."

_Start playing old time rock 'n' roll_


End file.
